POSTSCRIPT. by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This "poem" is actually a postscript written by Shelley's editor in 1913, recognizing a scholarly paper by A.C.
The poem
In a valuable paper, ‘Notes on Passages in Shelley,’ contributed to “The Modern Language Review” (October, 1905), Mr. A.C. Bradley discussed, amongst other things, some fifty places in the text of Shelley’s verse, and indicated certain errors and omissions in this edition. With the aid of these “Notes” the editor has now carefully revised the text, and has in many places adopted the suggestions or conclusions of their accomplished author. June, 1913.
This "poem" is actually a postscript written by Shelley's editor in 1913, recognizing a scholarly paper by A.C. Bradley that addressed errors in one of Shelley's published verse editions. It isn't a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley; rather, it's a note in prose regarding the editing of his work. In short, it's a housekeeping note for publishing that has been incorrectly classified as a poem.
Line-by-line
In a valuable paper, 'Notes on Passages in Shelley,'...
Tone & mood
Formal, straightforward, and appreciative. There’s no grand lyrical aspiration here — it reads like a thoughtful editor offering a public acknowledgment. The tone resembles a preface in an academic journal more than anything Shelley himself penned.
Symbols & metaphors
- The revised text — Reflects the continuous, collaborative process of preserving literature — no edition of a poet's work is ever completely final, and each revision shows a commitment to honoring the poet's legacy.
- A.C. Bradley's 'Notes' — Represents the wider community of scholars whose diligent, often unnoticed efforts ensure that a poet's words remain accurate and resonate through the ages.
- June, 1913 — The date grounds the note in actual editorial history, reminding readers that the poems they hold have been touched by many people before they arrived in their hands.
Historical context
Percy Bysshe Shelley passed away in 1822, leaving a collection of work that was published and republished through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, often with considerable textual inconsistencies. Editors relied on manuscripts, earlier printed editions, and scholarly commentary to create reliable versions of his texts. A.C. Bradley, who is perhaps best known today for his influential work *Shakespearean Tragedy* (1904), shared his corrective notes on Shelley's text in *The Modern Language Review* in October 1905. The editor who added this postscript, likely Thomas Hutchinson—whose 1904 Oxford edition of Shelley is widely referenced—integrated Bradley's insights into a revised edition released in 1913. As such, this note represents an early twentieth-century effort in editorial scholarship rather than a poem by Shelley himself.
FAQ
No. Shelley passed away in 1822. This postscript was penned in June 1913 by his editor—most likely Thomas Hutchinson—as a note for a revised edition of Shelley's collected poems. It has been incorrectly listed under Shelley's name.
Andrew Cecil Bradley (1851–1935) was a British literary scholar, best known for his work *Shakespearean Tragedy* (1904). He also engaged in detailed textual criticism of various poets, including the 1905 article on Shelley referenced here.
It’s an academic journal, peer-reviewed and established in 1905, that shares research on literature in modern languages. Still active today, it’s among the oldest journals of its type in the English-speaking world.
When poems are copied by hand, typeset, or reprinted over the years, small errors can slip in — like a wrong word, a missing line, or a misread letter. Bradley found around fifty of these errors in the printed text of Shelley's poetry, and the editor used his discoveries to create a more accurate version.
A single wrong word in a poem can completely alter its meaning. Textual scholarship, such as Bradley's work, helps ensure that what readers see on the page closely reflects what Shelley actually wrote, instead of being muddled by printers' errors.
No. It's an editorial tool — more of a commentary on the book than a piece of literature itself. It fits within the context of Shelley scholarship, rather than being part of Shelley's own creative work.
It is linked to what many believe is Thomas Hutchinson's 1904 edition of Shelley's complete poetical works published by Oxford University Press, which was revised and reprinted in 1913 with corrections based on Bradley's notes.